Which mountain ranges form the major landforms of British Columbia?

British Columbia is situated almost entirely within a vast mountain system known as the cordillera, which features ranges aligned in a northwest-southeast direction.1

The two primary mountain ranges defining the province's landscape are:
* Coast Mountains: Located in the western part of the province, this system includes the St. Elias Mountains, where the province reaches its highest elevation at Mount Fairweather.1
* Rocky Mountains: The Canadian portion of this range forms the eastern boundary of the province.1

Additionally, the interior of British Columbia contains several other significant mountain ranges, including the Columbia Mountains in the southeast—which comprise the Cariboo, Monashee, Selkirk, and Purcell ranges—as well as the Cassiar, Omineca, Skeena, and Hazelton mountains in the north. These ranges surround a broad central interior plateau and are separated by deep valleys and canyons.12